A.N.: A little fan fiction about the Tales of the Abyss characters, if they were residing in our world living normal lives as high school students. But things won't be as normal as reality once you get to later chappies. Read on to find out. "Mr. Fabre!" came the resonating yell of Dist, the Arts teacher within the faculty room. All the teachers, already used to his constant yelling, have brought out their earplugs even before the ear-splitting screech. The young student before him didn't bother to cover his ears though. Instead, he just continued to scratch his head, occasionally glancing at his Rolex.

"How many times must I remind you, Mr. Fabre," Dist hissed through his teeth, "How many times must I remind you to NEVER TURN THE CAFETERIA INTO A BATTLE FIELD?"

"Approximately 292 times as of this month, sir." the young boy said, posing like a military soldier as he tried to hold back his chuckles.

"Stop mocking me, you nutcase!" the teacher yelled back. "You've caused trouble for this school the first day you set foot on campus!"

"Yes," agreed one of the teachers in the room, approaching. Fixing his glasses, he continued, "In fact, he has broken almost all of the minor and major offenses of this institution."

"Don't sound so pleased, Jade!" yelled Dist.

"Oh?" Jade Curtiss, the Physics teacher asked with a soft chuckle. "Do I really sound pleased about young Luke's behavior?"

"Hey," Luke Fabre said suddenly, placing another glance at his Rolex. "Classes are about to start and-"

"You are not leaving this room until you are given proper punishment!" yelled Dist. "Really! Making such a mess of the cafeteria during Tomato Week!"

"I've just noticed," Jade said, contemplating, "That he'll never change his ways unless someone actually keeps a close eye and looks after him."

"Are you implying that we should have someone baby-sit him?" Dist asked.

"Whoa!" Luke yelled, looking a bit angry. "I won't have that!"

"Yes, well. Your attitude's getting a little bit out of hand, Luke," laughed Jade. "And your best friend isn't really much of a help to you either."

"Guy has nothing to do with this!" Luke replied.

"Of course he doesn't," Dist sighed. "I don't see Mr. Cecil getting into that much trouble, do you?"

Luke looked away with a frown. Of course he doesn't, he said to himself, I'm the one who always covers up for him.

His line of thinking was cut when a soft knock came from the door. He turned to look as the door slowly slid open. His emerald eyes widened at the sight of a girl entering the room, gracefully carrying with her a pile of papers. She tried to place some of her hair behind her hair, but they seemed to go back to her face, hanging in front of her right eye. Luke stared, as she carried herself with utmost care towards Jade.

"These are the test papers of class 1-A, Mr. Curtiss," she said to Jade, handing to him the papers.

"Thank you, Mestearika," he replied. "You're always a help to an old man such as myself.

"Please, sir," the girl replied with a smile, "30 years is still young."

Jade laughed. "Thank you. That's quite a compliment." Jade then stopped as if something just came over him "Heheh," I snickered as I stealthily sneaked up behind Natalia, carrying with me this delicious looking cream pie. Normally, I would've eaten it for myself, but the thought of throwing this at Natalia... Man, that was too much!

Anyway, I made myself ready with the perfect aim. There she was, turning at the corner, with this pie in her face later! A few seconds... and I threw it! But... what the? Where'd the pie go?

"Luke!"

Oh damn, I knew that voice. I knew that voice way too well. Sad to say, looks like I've been caught. I looked up at her, hoping to smile my way out of it. But as I met up with her cold glare, there was little hope of that. I could see my cream pie(which I asked my friend Anise to bake) in her hands.

"What were you going to do with this?" she asked in her usual cold tone.

"It's for Natalia," I lied. "It's... a present?"

"Luke!" she warned.

I sighed back. "Fine, fine," I said, holding my hands up in defeat. "I was going to throw it into Natalia's face," I explained. Hah, as if she didn't know yet. This was the seventh time she caught me about to do something to Natalia this week.

"Honestly Luke," she sighed. "Have a little sympathy for the girl. Just because the girl can't cook doesn't mean you have to tease her about it."

"But it's the truth isn't it?" I asked as we started to walk towards the cafeteria. It was lunch time, by the way. "She couldn't cook a hard-boiled egg even with a teacher AND a cookbook by her side!"

"Even still!" she said back, her voice rising. "What you'r doing is far more worse than just teasing!"

"What do you care anyway?"

"I care because Mr. Curtiss asked me to look after you," she said, her voice sounding final. I knew why. We were at the cafeteria already, and I didn't notice! I saw Guy right away, waving at us. Looks like he got the best table in the cafeteria yet again.

"Caught him again, Tear?" asked Guy to my babysitter as soon as we got to the table.

"As usual," she replied, sitting next to him.

"Gwaah!" Guy yelled, covering himself with his arms. He backed away from Tear, looking like he's with a ghost. I was laughing my head off while Tear apologized to him and stood up to sit beside me instead.

"Forgive me," she said. "I forgot."

"Nah, it's fine," Guy replied, recovering from his, well, shock. It's a really funny thing, but ever since he was a kid, Guy has always feared getting near women. I never actually met her mother, but I wonder if she was able to hold him then?

"Anyway," Guy started, carrying with him his sandwich and standing up. "I figured we should eat somewhere instead."

"Huh?" I asked. "Where?"

"Where else?"

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"Nice idea, Guy!" I said as soon as we arrived at our lunch spot! It was the highest tree in our school, and probrably the oldest. This is the place where we usually spend our days talking about all the mischief I had done.

"We're goint to have lunch here?" Tear asked us as she looked up at the high tree.

"Yeah. C'mon!" I yelled back. Guy was already climbing up the tree.

I climbed the tree with much ease(I dare you to climb that tree in 5 seconds, haha!). I was about to lean back and eat my sandwich, but I stopped when I found Tear still standing by the foot of the tree.

"What are you still doing there?" I yelled. "Come on up!"

"I..." was all I could make out of what she replied. I couldn't hear the rest that she muttered.

"What?" I yelled again. "I can't hear you!"

"I... can't climb... trees..."

I blinked at that. Tear couldn't climb trees? There's something new you learn everyday.

"It's fine," she said. "As long as I can keep an eye on you, I'll be fine down here."

She was starting to eat down there, while Guy and I were to eat up here... Somehow, that just didn't seem right. Before I knew it, my body started acting on its own.

I jumped back down.

Tear looked up at me. "What?" she asked.

I gave my hand. "C'mon, I'll help you climb up."

"I told you, I'll be fine-"

"It's not right that only Guy and I will enjoy the view from up there." I reasoned. Just hurry up before I change my mind! "C'mon."

She took my hand and stood up.

"Hang on," I said, as I turned my back on her.

"What?"

I could feel myself turning red as I continued, "Hurry up and hang on my back! How do you expect me to bring you up there, make you float?"

"But I..."

"Hurry up you guys!" Guy suddenly yelled. "I can't start eating without you two!"

"So he says," I said. "C'mon."

And she did hang on to me. With her on my back, I climbed the tree, still with ease(10 seconds this time). As we reached the wide branch, she let go and sat on it. After Guy threw me my sandwich(he was sitting on the other wide branch), I sat next to her.

"What's wrong?" she asked suddenly. "You look red."

"Uh..." Damn it, I couldn't hide it. Ah well, might as well tell her the truth.

"Tear, how old are you now, exactly?" I asked, not looking at her. I could see Guy, listening.

"Huh? 16, why?"

"Well... uh," I stuttered. My eyes widened. "You're just 16?"

"Yeah."

"No way! You're only 16 and you already have melons tha big?"

"Melons?"

I covered my mouth. I glared at Guy, who was laughing his head off, hitting the tree with his fists.

"Melons!" Guy yelled between his laughs. "Hahaha! Melons!"

"Shut up!" I yelled. "Look, Tear, I-"

I couldn't explain myself anymore. I was pretty sure that she wasn't going to listen, anyway. Her sudden slap really did hurt, but I somehow felt that I deserved it. Damn it, me and my big mouth... "Ms. Grants?"

I turned at the sound of the voice of my favorite teacher in the school. She stood behind me, carrying a few test papers. She's the most beautiful (and strictest) teacher in the whole school, and that day, she was looking as pretty as ever.

"Are you alright? You seem to be angry," she said. "Did you and your brother have an argument again?"

"Oh, no," I replied. I felt a bit happy, for she was concerned about me. "It's not my brother, I assure you, Ms. Legretta."

"I see," she replied. "Then perhaps, it's that brat Fabre?"

I flinched at the sound of his mere surname. I was still angry at him.

"Yes..."

"I don't know what's wrong with that Jade," she sighed. "Asking you to do such a task. So, tell me. Did he do anything perverted?"

I blinked. How the heck did she know?

"Well... sort of..."

She sighed. "Well, you could expect that. He's a man after all, and you're a very beautiful girl."

I blushed at this. "Thank you, Ms. Legretta."

"I know something that will cheer you up," she said, getting something from her blouse's pocket. She handed that something to me, and I could immediately feel my cheeks turning red.

It was a cute stuffed cheagle... A very cute stuffed cheagle.

"You like cute things like that, am I correct?" she asked.

"Yes!" I replied. "Thank you so much, Ms. Legretta! But, where is this from?"

"Someone left it on my desk. I don't want that, so it's yours."

"Thank you. I feel much better now."
I can't believe it, I said to myself as I turned my back to leave. So, Tear likes cute stuff, huh?